From June 5, 2002
Iowa
Communities Keep Lawns Green Without Toxic Pesticides
School and park officials in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa area have developed a pest management plan that has significantly reduced the amount of toxic pesticides used on lawns with the help of Yards for Kids. Over the last three years, the City of Cedar Falls has gone from blanket spraying several parks to applying pesticides on 10 percent of park grounds, saving the city $18,000 and hundreds of gallons of pesticides. Many other entities have followed their lead on reducing the use of herbicides, including the Cedar Falls Community Schools, Waterloo Parks and the Covenant Medical Center.
Yards for Kids, a health education program, is a collaborative project of the University of Northern Iowa's Center for Energy and Environmental Education with the City of Cedar Falls and City of Waterloo Mayor's Offices, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Waste Reduction Center, Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project, Cedar Valley Youth Soccer Association, Covenant Medical Center, public libraries, community schools, and others. Yards for Kids is headed by Dr. Kaymar Enshayan, an agricultural engineer.
Dr. Enshayan is giving a presentation, hosted by Environmental Advocates and Friends of Hickory Hill Park, on reducing the use of lawn chemicals on June 5, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. at Hickory Hill Park. For more information contact, Sarah Walz at 319-466-0908 or sarah-[email protected] or Dr. Enshayan at 319-273-6895.
For a list of other pesticide reduction success stories, contact Beyond Pesticides.